Side guard for beds



1953 R. E. WARREN 2,648,850

SIDE GUARD FOR BEDS Filed Feb. 16, 1950 llllllllllflllllll II INVENTOR ROBE/P7 f. WAREZ-7V BY f ATTOR EY Patented Aug. 18, 195 3 2,648,85 S IDE GUARD BEDS F ler Wet- 9e S field detritu i?- A i a i n ew 16, 1 b en! Na 44 8 50 ins- This s invention. relates to an improved side uard-.ior'beds.

Side guardsvor. bed guards or the general-charac'ter of this-invention have'heretofo're bee'nde vised and patented for thespurpose-of preventing children and invalids from'fallingout of bed While-:sleeping. Thesebedtguardsrare attached to oneofthe sides; ortovboth sides,.of an adult bed and they are generally removable when their presence is no: longer needed." These bed guards are'zm'ost frequently usedf'or the purpose of' temporarily converting an adult bed into ayouth bed, the object being'toprovide a transitionphase between cribs andi'adult' beds; Theitb'ed guards may be removed from'the'a'dult'b'ed when the child is old enough to sleep in an ungu'ardedadult bed;

The bed guards of the prior art may be divided into two categories: the first 'c'ategory' includes universal type bed guards which are intended for mounting on beds of every possible conventional construction; the second category includes bed guards which are intended for certain'types'" oi bedconstruction only. Speaking generally; there" ar'e 'th ree diiierent types of 1 bed construction which are normally encountered: the first is p'ro' vided. with bed rails made of wood,- the 's'econCl is provided with angle-iron bed rails wherei'rrsaid' bed-'railsare L-shaped incross section," and the third isprovided with inverted' ang'leiron'bed rails. "Stilianoth'er'tjype of beddS -knOwn aS a' Hollywood bed or divan." This type of 'bed 'is' provided with a box spring-having a framework which is generally made of wood. The 1iniv'e'rsalbed guards of the prior art are intendejdfior mounting on all three types of bed a's -well'asonthe divan. The other group-of be'd'g'ua'ids f- 'th'e prior art is intended for use either on a bed-with bed rails made of wood, or on a bed having ant-1e;- iron bed rails, but not on beds of both'types and certainly not on the so-called Hollywood beds".

The universal bed guards of the prior art have: been unsatisfactory in many respects: 'In' the first place, their construction is much'too c0stly;"

the second place, their performance leaves-much' 45 as universal as they are intended tobe,'sincethey: require adaptors for mounting on the different-- to be desired; and in the third place, they are not types of bed rails.

It is accordinglythe principal objectof thisinvention to provide a bed'guard of the character described which is simplein construction and readily adapted for mounting on all of=the-types of bed above mentioned,'includingthe Hollywoodtype of bed; The'ncon'struction-al' features 2 of the present bed guard are simple, fool-proof, and readily adapted for mass productionona low cost basisr Briefly; a bed.- guard made in accordance'with the present irivention c'omprisesa pair of *ver'tical postspa pair of horizontal rails sup portedby: said posts, and a pair of brackets which are fastened -to said posts and which attach-said p'ost'st'o the-bed 'railof the'bed. These brackets constitute the heart of the invention Although thep'rin'oipal former the invention'in'cludes a p'air of posts-a pair ofhcrizontalra'ils, a'nda pair o'f brackets; it will readiIy be understood that asuitable bed 'g'u'ard may be made in accordance with the presentinvention with a greater or lesser-numberof'hormontal rails; and even verticaipostsa "Another important object of the present inventi( f1""-is" the provisional? a: T bfed guard Of the charat-ztei des'crib'edwhich is'adapted for shippingand sel-l in'g' Qua -knockdown basis. This bed g ard may-very readily be set up and equally 'a'sf're a'dily resented on the s'i de" rail of a bed" by totally inexperienced people such 'as'housewives and the ur ose- 0f "installing"; p

rr prer rrea form of this invention is shown he-accompanying drawing in which: Fi

ing side rails made of wood and snowmga bed guard made 111 accordance with the preferred siderails';

2 is 'a ers pect ive'view'of' one of the two brackets by whichthel vertical posts or the bed guard ans iast ened: to the side r n of the bed;

F 3 is ase tion i w, enla sd n aer Ty, bed e rjd lol s 4+5 o 3- v Eigi" 5 is another sectional view showing how onefof the posts oi'the bed guardis fastenedby pig-1421s a vijew looking in the direction of e ns o a cl tto the framework of a Hollywood? type ofbeld.

Fig.6 is 'fstillanother sectional viewshowing-, how one ofthe verticalposts of the bed guard is fastened by means. ofsaid bracket to .aninvertedl angle-iron type of side rail.

7 is an-a ditional sectional View showing one of -th'e vertical-posts of the bed guardmounted on anangle-' iron type of side rail whichfln section; is shaped like an L.

The bed 10 which is shown in the drawing is "speciai-to and equipment are not'n'eed'ed or' the purpo'se of assembling or forth'e I 17 m nte d 'on the wooden side railpf the be by meanfsiofthe bracket sli own'in Fi'g'. '2.

3 provided with a pair of side rails II which are made of wood. A bed guard I2 made in accordance with this invention is shown mounted on one of said side rails II.

Bed guard I2 comprises the following elements which are clearly shown in Figs. 1, 2, and 3: a pair of uprights or posts I5 and I6 respectively, a pair of horizontal bars or rails I7 and I8 respectively, a pair of brackets 29 and a pair of bolts ill by which said brackets are fastened to H said uprights and by which said brackets and uprights are fastened to the side rail of the bed. The uprights and the horizontal bars or rails of bed guard I2 may be made of wood or any other suitable material. In the preferred form of this invention they are made of wood, as the drawing clearly shows. Bracket 20, on the other hand, should be made of more substantial material such as steel. In practice, bracket comprises a metal stamping which is cut and a bent from said steel.

Each of the two uprights I5 and I6 is provided with a horizontal notch or groove and with a horizontal, transverse hole 26. The hole is, of

course, adapted to accommodate bolt 2|. This is a carriage type of bolt, having a dome-shaped head 21 and a square neck under the head. A wing nut 28 is provided on said bolt, as is a washer 29.

The specific means by which the cross bars I? and I8 are fastened to uprights I5 and I6 is not important to the present invention. They may be fastened to each other by means of screws or bolts or by any other conventional means. Dowels and furniture glue may, if desired, be utilized for this purpose. In practice, however, what is done is to ship the uprights and the cross bars to the ultimate consumer in knock-down or unassembled condition. Appropriate holes are provided in these several members as are wood screws, so that all the customer need do is to put the screws in the proper holes and tighten them with a screw driver.

7 Bracket 20 comprises a main body portion 30 having a vertically or longitudinally extending slot 3I formed therein. Ribs 32 are provided for rigidity and strength. Hole 33 is also provided between groove 3I and the top end 34 of said body portion 30. The top end 34 is, as the drawing clearly shows, bent over substantially at right angles to the main body portion 30 and for purposes of convenience, the main body portion may be described as the main vertical portion of the bracket, whereas top end portion 34 may be described as the horizontal portion thereof. It will further be noted that the horizontal top end portion 34 dips diagonally down at 35 and then continues horizontally once again to form what may be described as the offset fastening plate portion 36. This offset plate portion is provided with a pair of holes 3'! to accommodate wood screws, as will shortly appear. Ribs 32 extend across the top end portion 34 as will be apparent from an examination of Fig. 3. The lower end of the main body portion 30 of the bracket is also diagonally offset at 38 and it then once again descends vertically to form a vertical plate portion 39. Reference to Fig. 2 will disclose the fact that slot 3i is open at its bottom end and closed at its top end. In other words, in the preferred form of this invention, slot 3I bifurcates the lower half, or more, of body portion 39 and provides it with a pair of legs 30a and 392; respectively. Each of these legs is provided with a diagonal offset portion 38 and with a vertical plate portion 39.

The manner in which bracket 20 may be applied to one of the vertical posts or uprights I5 and I6 in order to support said upright on side rail II on bed II] is clearly shown in Figs. 3 and 4. It will be noted that bolt 2| extends through slot 3| as well as through hole 26 in the upright. The square neck or shoulder of the bolt rides in said slot 3I and the clearance between said square neck or shoulder and the sides of the slot is such as to prevent the bolt from turning in the slot. It may move longitudinally of the slot but it cannot rotate therein. The

head of the bolt engages the main body portion 30 of the bracket and wing nut 28 bears against washer 29 and presses it against the upright. Horizontal plate portion 36 of the bracket projects into recess 25 in the upright. The side rail I I of the bed is accommodated between the main body portion 30 of the bracket, and more particularly its legs 30a and 30b, and the upright, immediately below bolt 2|. Hence when the wing nut is tightened on the bolt, the bracket will clamp the side rail II against the inside of the upright. The main body portion 30 of the bracket will be maintained in parallel relation to the upright by reason of the presence of its horizontal portion 34, including its offset plate portions 35 and 33, which collectively serve as a spacer at the upper end of the bracket.

The same bracket 20 may be used to mount the bed guard on a bed having an angle-iron side rail 33. See Fig. '7. The only change is in the manner in which the bracket is mounted on the upright of the bed guard. In the first application of this invention, horizontal portion 34 and its offset plate portions 35 and 36 are situated on top and legs 39a and 30b and their offset plate portions 38 and 39 are situated at the bottom. In Fig. 7, however, the bracket is inverted so that its legs project upwardly and its horizontal portion 34 is disposed at its bottom end. In cross section, angle iron 49 is shaped like an L and its upright portion 40a is placed between the main body portion 30 of the bracket and the upright, immediately below bolt 2|. Horizontal portion 34 of the bracket rests upon the horizontal portion 39b of the angle iron and plate portions 39 bear against the side of the upright or post of the bed guard. Plate portions 39 are ofiset from main body portion 30 to the extent of the thickness of the upright portion 40a of the angle iron. In Fig. 3, horizontal portion 34 and offset plate portions 35 and 36 served as spacers on the opposite side of the bolt, from the wooden bed rail I I. In Fig. '7, plate portions 39 and offset plate portions 38 serve as spacers on the opposite side of the bolt from angle iron 40.

When the angle iron is inverted, as in Fig. 6, bracket 29 must be positioned in reverse or inverted relation to its position in Fig. '7. Its horizontal portion 34 and offset plate portions 35 and 36 are now at the top and legs 39a and 39b and offset plate portions 38 and 39 are now at the bottom. This is similar to the manner in which the bracket is disposed in Fig. 3 with one exception: In Fig. 3 offset plate portion 36 bears against the upright of the bed guard, whereas in Fig. 6 said offset plate portion is pointed in the opposite direction, that is away from the upright of the bed guard. The relationship between the bracket and the bed rail is identical in Figs. 6 and 7, the only difference being that in Fig. 7 the bracket is mounted above the horizontal portion 40b of the bed rail, whereas in Fig. '7 it is mount U ed below said horizontal portion of the bed rail. Hence, instead of horizontal portion 34 of the bracket resting upon horizontal portion 40b of the bed rail, said horizontal portion 34 bears against the underside of said horizontal portion of the bed rail.

Fig. shows how the same bracket may be used to support the same bed guard on the wooden framework 45 of day bed or Hollywood bed 46. Plate portion 35 and main body portion 30 of the bracket are fastened to said wooden framework by means of wood screws 48 which project through holes 37 and 33 respectively of said plate portion 36 and main body portion 30. The bifurcated end of the bracket now projects upwardly and bolt 2| may be slipped into the longitudinal slot 3| of said bracket and brought downwardly to the position which it is shown to occupy in Fig. 5. OiTset plate portions 39 of the bracket project into recess 25 of the upright of the bed guard to prevent vertical movement in either direction of said upright relative to said bracket.

It will be observed from the foregoing that bracket 20 renders the bed guard most adaptable to every type of conventional bed, including the type known as a day bed or "Hollywood bed. The bed guard is not only adaptable to all of these beds, but it may also very conveniently be mounted thereon without special tools or equipment or adaptors. Bracket 20 constitutes its own adaptor and it adapts the bed guard for mounting on any conventional bed rail or day bed frame.

It will be understood from the foregoing that the bed guard and its bracket or brackets, as the case may be, constitute but a preferred form of this invention, and other forms of the invention may be had within the broad scope and spirit of the invention.

I claim:

1. A bed guard of the character described, comprising at least one upright, at least one horizontal bar mounted on said upright, and at least one bracket connected to the upright by means of a bolt for mounting said upright on the side rail of a bed, said bracket having a main body portion with an opening formed therein for said bolt, at least one horizontally extending portion at its lower end projecting in one lateral direction therefrom and a vertically extending offset portion at its upper end projecting in the opposite lateral direction therefrom.

2. A bed guard of the character described, comprising at least one upright, at least one horizontal bar mounted on said upright, and at least one bracket connected to the upright by means of a bolt for mounting said upright on the siderail of a bed, said bracket being turnable on said bolt relative to said upright when the bolt is loose and being fixed to said upright when the bolt is tight, said upright having a recess formed therein on the side facing the bracket, said bracket having a main body portion with an opening formed therein for said bolt, at least one horizontally extending portion at itslower end which extends in one lateral direction from said main body portion and a vertically extending offset portion at its upper end which is offset in the opposite lateral direction from said main body portion, one of said portions entering the recess in the upright when the bracket is disposed in one position relative to said upright, the other portion being adapted to enter the recess when the bracket is rotated through degrees in horizontal and vertical planes.

3. A bed guard in accordance with claim 2, wherein two uprights are provided, two horizontal bars mounted on said uprights, and two brackets connected to said uprights.

4. A bracket for a bed guard of the character described, comprising a main body portion which is bifurcated at its lower end and which is provided with offset and horizontal portions at its top and bottom ends, the offset portion at its top end projecting in one direction laterally from said main body portion and the portions at the bottom end projecting in the opposite direction, laterally from said main body portion.

5. A bed guard of the character described, comprising at least one upright, at least one horizontal bar mounted on said upright, and at least one bracket connected to the upright by means of a bolt for mounting said upright on the side rail of a bed, said bracket being turnable on said bolt relative to said upright when the bolt is loose and being fixed to said upright when the bolt is tight, said upright having a recess formed therein on the side facing the bracket, said bracket having a main body portion with an opening formed therein for said bolt, at least one offset portion at its lower end projecting in one direction therefrom and another offset portion at its upper end projecting in the opposite direction therefrom, one of said oifset portions entering the recess in the upright when the bracket is disposed in one position relative to said upright, the other portion being adapted to enter the recess when the bracket is rotated through 180 degrees in horizontal and vertical planes, the opening formed in the main body portion of the bracket being a longitudinally extending slot through which the shank of the bolt projects, the shank of the bolt being provided with a square shoulder which engages the sides of the slot to prevent rotation of the bolt in said slot.

ROBERT E. WARREN.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS Number Name Date 329,663 Mclvlurray Nov. 3, 1885 1,400,007 Sparks Dec. 13, 1921 2,492,070 Stone et a1. Dec. 20, 1949 2,570,731 Susnow Oct. 9, 1951 FOREIGN PATENTS Number Country Date 252,296 Germany Oct. 17, 1912 

